'Awesome Kim' will be expected to shine in the autumn playoffs! 'First-place' Atlanta Braves surge with a fierce six-game winning streak; Kim Ha-seong gets full rest after four games

*This content was translated by AI.

Atlanta Braves infielder Kim Ha-seong (31) sat out for the first time in four games to get a full rest. Atlanta is on a hot six-game winning streak, moving one step closer to a postseason berth.

On the 30th (Korean time), Kim Ha-seong was absent from the starting lineup for the home game against the Colorado Rockies at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia, during the 2026 Major League Baseball (MLB) regular season.

Kim Ha-seong had been on a hot streak recently. On the 27th against the Los Angeles Dodgers, he came in as a pinch hitter and hit a walk-off single. In the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs and runners on first and second, with both teams tied at 5-5, Kim Ha-seong stepped up to the plate. He attacked Tanner Scott's 97.2 mph (approximately 156.4 km/h) four-seam fastball and drove a walk-off single to left field. The batted ball speed was 103 mph (approximately 165.8 km/h).

Riding this momentum, Kim Ha-seong started in the lineup on the 28th game. This marked his first start since the the 8th game against the New York Yankees, a span of 20 days. He contributed to the team's 1-0 victory with three at-bats, one hit, two strikeouts, and one stolen base. In particular, with the team leading 1-0 in the bottom of the third inning, one out, and no runners on base, he attacked Yamamoto Yoshinobu's low 92.4 mph (approximately 148.7 km/h) splitter and connected for a single to left field. He then stole second base, recording his second stolen base of the season.

Continuing his performance, Kim Ha-seong started as the leadoff hitter and shortstop in the game against the Colorado Rockies on the previous day (29th), going 0-for-3 with one hit-by-pitch. Although he did not record a hit, he demonstrated his presence with several stable defensive plays.

This season, Kim Ha-seong has appeared in 34 games, recording a batting average of .084 (7 hits in 83 at-bats), 5 RBIs, 5 runs scored, 9 walks, 25 strikeouts, 2 stolen bases (0 failed), an on-base percentage of .183, a slugging percentage of .084, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of .267.

On this day, Atlanta sent Mauricio Dubón to start at the cleanup spot as both the fourth hitter and starting shortstop in place of Kim Ha-seong. Dubón contributed to the team's victory with one hit and one run scored in four at-bats.

Atlanta secured a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory over Colorado. In the bottom of the eighth inning, trailing 0-1 and facing a heavy defeat, Atlanta mounted an attack. After two outs, Matt Olson and Dubón recorded consecutive hits to create a first-and-third base situation. Michael Harris II then hit a two-run, go-ahead double to left field with two RBIs. In the top of the ninth inning, reliever Didier Fuentes navigated a bases-loaded, one-out crisis to preserve the team's victory.

Atlanta, leading the National League East Division on a fierce six-game winning streak, achieved its 81st win (55 losses) of the season. With a 5.5-game lead over second-place Philadelphia Phillies in the same division, Atlanta holds a favorable position for playoff qualification. Meanwhile, Colorado, now on a three-game losing streak, sits at the bottom of the National League West Division with a record of 52 wins and 84 losses.

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*This content was translated by AI.